We had a good turnout for the Halloween Bash. Some came out laughing and some were frightened at the door and changed their mind and didn’t go in. A young lady slid in with her back against the door. A big thanks to all that came and to the middle school kids and their sponsors that came to help clean up. They went right to work and had it finished in no time at all. They would have helped more but had school things going on at the same day. A big thanks to the three ladies that came to volunteer to help set up and dressed up for the event. Clay even drove up from Oklahoma City to help decorate and dressed up for the event. When I got there Saturday morning he was there early and had raked the fallen leaves into piles and was beginning to bag them. He definitely goes above and beyond the job he volunteered for when he contacted us about scraping and painting the outside.
A couple from Muskogee came for a tour Saturday morning while we were decorating for the Halloween Bash. They didn’t seem to mind walking around tubs and showed interest in the history of the Fergusons and the home. We invited them back to visit after it’s decorated for Christmas. There was also a couple that came earlier this week that seemed to enjoy the museum too.
We have the tuxedo worn by Buell Cronkhite while he attended Oklahoma University in 1915-1917. I thought Mr. Cronkhite wore it to Governor Ferguson’s inauguration but this past summer while cleaning I found a piece of paper under it providing this information; I apologize to those I misinformed. Buell (J.B.) was the son of Will and Eva Cronkhite that had the ranch that adjoins Roman Nose on the west. They had five children, J.B., Cap, Chet, and twin daughters Della and Nellie. J.B. and brother Cap built the resort part of Roman Nose called Big Spring. Lillian the wife of J.B. was a good friend of Elva Ferguson.
Continuing with the article about T.B. Ferguson’s son Lieutenant Tom Ferguson. He also had a newspaper profession, working for The Daily Oklahoman, The Wichita Eagle, and the McAlester News-Capital. The McAlester News-Capital is where he worked when World War I broke out. Tom married a lady named Bertha in August just before he passed away the following January. There was no additional information provided about Bertha. He had told her in the past he wanted to pass away before her because he wanted to be waiting for her. That probably was because of the War. I know with two of my brothers in the Vietnam War and my son in National Guards they were to be prepared in case something happened. He told Bertha while he was sick he wanted her to live with T.B. and Elva. He asked his parents to take care of her once he was gone. Being a young boy when coming to Watonga he grew up friends of the Native Americans and showed them much kindness. There was a large group that came to the funeral. He was born May 3, 1891, in Sedan, Kansas. He passed away at Henry Post Airfield Hospital, Lawton, Oklahoma January 18, 1919, of the Spanish Flu. He was given a funeral service at the post with full military honors and hundreds attending. A smaller service was also given at the Watonga Methodist Church with graveside services held at the IOOF Cemetery by the Masonic Lodge of Watonga where he was a member.